I’ve logged hundreds of hours on Stardew Valley since it was released in 2016, and I’m eagerly awaiting Haunted Chocolatier, but I had no idea there was another ConcernedApe game I hadn’t played. ConcernedApe is the moniker of Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone, and until recently I thought the famous farming simulator was his first-ever game. However, in retrospect, it makes sense that Barone had at least some experience making games before releasing something as polished as Stardew Valley.

Barone’s first game is free to play, so out of curiosity, I decided to check it out. While it bears little resemblance to my favorite farming game, the game does still have some of Stardew Valley’s retro charm. It’s also good for a few laughs, so if you’re a ConcernedApe fan who is curious to see where he got his start, I think it’s worth checking out.

Before Stardew Valley, ConcernedApe's Made 17CF Quest Game

ConcernedApe’s First Game Was A Silly Promo For His Band

I learned about ConcernedApe’s first game from a profile a point-and-click-style game and its tutorial screen credits King’s Quest and The Curse of Monkey Island as its inspiration. Knowing that Barone was a teenager at the time of creating the game, I couldn’t help but smile when I booted it up for the first time.

If you decide to play the 17CF Quest Game, don’t expect Stardew Valley’s pretty pixel art. Instead, you’ll be greeted by something that looks like it was made in MS Paint. Still, making any functional game is an accomplishment, and I honestly appreciate something like 17CF that is clearly handmade more than a game that simply drags and drops available assets from something like Unity or Unreal Engine’s marketplace.

While I won’t pretend 17CF is some hidden gem that everyone must play, it’s still interesting to get an early glimpse at Barone’s history with game development. Imagine getting to watch Jimi Hendrix learning to press the frets on his guitar for the first time, or the first videos James Cameron ever shot. Anyone interested in game design might benefit from seeing what a very early project by a developer looks like, so they aren’t discouraged that their first game isn’t Stardew Valley.

ConcernedApe's First Game Is Way Less Ambitious

17CF Is A Short Experience That Isn’t Trying To Be A Commercial Game

Unless it wasn’t clear, 17CF is no Stardew Valley. It’s a relatively simple game with a dozen or so unique screens, some NPCs to interact with, and a rollerblading mini-game where you dodge animals using the arrow keys. As a project that was never intended to be a commercial game, it makes sense that 17CF would be a much less ambitious project than Barone’s current projects. So, if you decide to check it out, don’t expect a lengthy experience with the same level of depth as Stardew Valley.

Still, it’s worth acknowledging that even a game as simple as 17CF represents a decent amount of effort. Apart from having to draw all the different screens, Barone had to program animations for the characters, dialogue trees, and the unique interactions between objects on the map and the multiple cursors and items the game allows you to choose between. Although Barone said in the interview he didn’t initially intend to make games commercially, it’s clear that he was at least interested enough in development to put in the effort required to make even a short game like 17CF.

It's Not Surprising That Stardew Wasn't A Debut

A Game Like Stardew Valley Requires A Lot Of Development Knowledge

Although Stardew Valley was the first game Barone released commercially, it makes perfect sense that it wasn’t his absolute first experience in game development. Stardew Valley is impressive, especially for a game designed by a single person. Nobody simply sits down and makes a game like it on their first try, and I think that’s worth acknowledging. Any aspiring game designers shouldn’t look at Stardew Valley as Barone’s first game and feel discouraged. Instead, they should check out 17CF and realize that everyone starts somewhere, and what matters is learning the basics and building on that foundation.

17CF was a fun little distraction from work, but I’ll probably never play it again. That said, that doesn’t mean I’ll never think about it again, or that I’m not glad I played it. I spend some of my free time making pixel art on Aesprite and messing around on Unity. While I’m by no means a developer, the idea of being able to finish a game just as a hobby and learning experience is a goal of mine. And, it’s a goal that seems much less daunting when comparing my progress to something like 17CF instead of Stardew Valley.

Source: GQ